Bound to the Books
by wolfpack
Summary: AU: A curse has been placed on Dark and Krad that had bound them to the land they were killed on. Now, hundreds of years later, a library stands on the same grounds. It’s said that the place is haunted but no one’s ever seen a ghost. Until Kat that is
1. Prolouge

Yahoo! You managed to stumble upon a new story of mine. Ok let's see... I thought of this one while going to some library in Pasadena yesterday and it just demanded to be written! I thought, 'wouldn't it be cool if there were things living in the isles of a library this big?!' So yeah... a summary?

A/U: A curse has been placed on Dark and Krad that had bound them to the land they were killed on. Now, hundreds of years later, a library stands on the same grounds. It's said that the place is haunted but no one's ever seen a ghost. Until Kat that is... R&R

I hope you enjoy my new story!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

_**Bound to the Books**_

**Prologue**

He slid off his horse, landing heavily in the mud. The rain poured down around him in heavy sheets soaking through his cloak and dampening his skin. Mud poured in and out of his boots with every step. A hand clutched at his stomach and he could feel the warm blood seep through the leather of his glove.

_'I'm injured really badly this time...' _

As he entered the gloomy pub all heads turned his way. The bartender was the first to notice who he was and greeted, "What brings you here Master Dark? Surely you have a better place to be than this?"

The man smirked and replied, "Come tomorrow, I'll be a grave man."

The bartender laughed and replied, "The day you die, is the day I strike it rich!"

He sat down on one of the stools and noticed how it was taking most of his strength just to sit up right. His vision was beginning to blur but he could still tell that the bartender was slowly scrubbing a filthy glass with an even filthier rag.

Mud and water began to pool on the floor around him and he knew it was only a matter of time before his blood was to be added to the puddle. His ears picked up the sound of a fire crackling in the stone hearth and a kettle sat just above the embers cooking only god knew what.

The straw and wood roof leaked something awful and he knew that the bartender had given up long ago attempting putting pots out to catch the rain. 'What good does it do?' the bartender asked when inquired, 'There aren't enough pots for all the leaks!'

"You ain't lookin too good Dark. Perhaps I was wrong about you dying," the bartender said.

Someone looked up from their meal and piped, "He's dripping blood on the floor!"

"Bloody hell! What's wrong with you boy?" the bartender asked as he leaned forward over the counter.

The hollow sound of hooves on cobblestone announced another's arrival. Almost on cue, the doors burst open and the few eyes that weren't locked on Dark now moved to the new comer.

He wasted no time in crossing the room, boots thudding heavily on the wood floor, trailing massive amounts of water and mud behind him. He stopped next to Dark and sat down heavily on the stool beside him. As he removed his hood some of the room's occupants gasped. Shining blonde hair and golden eyes became visible. Some of the girls – most of whom were prostitutes – fainted from his beauty.

"You've caused me much trouble tonight Dark," the blonde said as he eyed the man sitting next to him.

"As you have me Krad," Dark replied, smirking under the cover of his hood.

"Can I ask why you attempted to steal 'Griffin's Gate'? You betrayed me..." Krad said his eyes picking up some of the purple locks tucked under Dark's heavy cloak.

"It's possessed," he replied simply.

Krad tried to keep his rage hidden but the delay of a reply gave him away. "You can't expect me to believe that..."

Dark bristled, he knew what was coming but there was no way he was ready for it. Krad was just playing with him. Dark didn't answer and let Krad decide how this was going to end.

Neither of them moved for a long while. The entire pub was silent and you could hear the rain thundering down on the roof above. Someone coughed.

In the blink of an eye both men had drawn their swords and were now facing off in the middle of the room. Dark's cloak fell off with a wet slop to the floor and there were gasps at what lay beneath.

Ebony wings were growing from his shoulder blades and the wound he had received earlier was also now apparent. Blood ran down his clothes and dripped onto the floor. A black feather floated to the ground and landed in the slowly growing pool of blood. Murmurs of 'demon!' and 'monster!' began to spread through the room like wildfire.

"I see you managed to get yourself injured," Krad laughed.

"It's just a scratch," Dark replied callously as he slashed at Krad.

Krad knew that Dark was lying. He glowered as his own coat slumped to the floor. Ivory wings stretched from his own back and glowed orange in the candle light. A flash of lightening lit the room and forked to the ground not to far away. A clap of thunder followed shortly after.

Dark staggered backwards, his wound was aching like hell and spilling more blood than he had to give. He backed into the bar and knocked over a stool.

"Bastard!" Krad hissed and attacked.

Gold and violet eyes widened at the unexpected hits. Blood dripped down onto Dark's face and the people in the pub began to scream. Dark's sword was lodged deeply in Krad's side and in turn the blonde had struck him in the chest. Dark drew in a breath and wheezed. He had been struck through the lung and a main artery had been punctured as well.

The golden eyes softened and Dark's sword was pulled out with a sickening slosh. Krad collapsed to his knees by his enemy, "Neither of us had to die tonight-"

"See you in hell..." Dark spat, his world dimming faster than his mind could grasp. His hand was still firmly clenched around the item he had stolen.

_'I can only hope that in the next life, I'll find happiness...' _

A bright light began emitting from the item in Dark's hand and let out a pulse of energy. The scream of a griffin pierced through the night, something no one had heard in over a hundred years, and it died as quickly as it had arisen. Dark's grip began to relax and he could feel the cool darkness of death surround him as if he was drowning.

_'Happiness.'_

(**A/N:** Hope there weren't too many spelling/ grammar mistakes in there! On to the next chapter!** PLEASE REVIEW!!!**)


	2. Fiction

Ok, I really hate this chapter. It's evil and I have no idea how to rewrite it!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

_**Bound to the Books**_

**Chapter 1**

"...And the last bolt of lightening struck just as both collapsed dead. They say that the library was built on that exact place that the two warriors died that night. It's said that their souls haunt the place looking for revenge," Tanya finished her tale as she sat at the table of a restaurant across from the city library.

"Do you think it's true?" Kat asked curiously. She glanced at the ancient building and doubted that it could have any history to it.

Tanya shrugged, "I only tell what I hear." She took another sip of her drink.

"I've heard rumors going around that things really do happen there," Jasmine said to her friends. "I heard that sometimes entire book cases get knocked over!"

Tanya snorted, "Anyone can knock over a bookcase. We're not in the best part of town you know. I bet they're just some confused homeless people that wander in and knock one over."

"Do you have any idea how much one of those cases weigh!?" Jasmine protested.

Kat sighed and cut Tanya's retort off, "Well, haunted or not, I have a report that isn't going to do itself." She stood up and left the table waving to her friends and crossed the street over to the huge library.

"You bitch!" Tanya screamed after her as the check arrived. "It was her turn to pay!" Tanya whined as she realized that Kat had already disappeared.

Jasmine sighed, "Well I paid last time. I hope you brought enough money for the check..."

"Damn it," Tanya hissed as she glared at the entrance to the library.

Kat smirked as she walked through iron gates and passed a fountain in the center of the courtyard. She noticed that the library was larger than she had expected it to be. Everything was made of stone and it looked a bit Spanish.

She pushed the entrance doors open and gasped. Kat was completely shocked at the sheer size of the man room. It had a roof of over eighty feet and her footsteps echoed as she walked.

'_I guess I should have brought Tanya with me. She knows this place better than I do. I don't think I've been here before...' _

Kat entered the south wing of the building and looked up to see it marked as arts and literature. Even though her project called for a different section, she decided to take a peek anyways. Long wooden desks filed her vision and random people sat there either typing away at their laptops or snoozing on a pile of books.

After getting used to the size of the room, Kat began to look at just how many books were lined on the shelves. Most of them were old and dusty but Kat was still surprised at just how many there were.

She roamed the wing a little longer before walking off to find another. Kat ended up getting lost along the way and the number of book cases began to become overwhelming.

'_Don't panic! There's got to be a way out of here!' _Kat checked to see what section she was in._ 'Ok, I'm in fiction... That doesn't help much! I hope I can find somebody so I can get out of here!'_ Kat wasn't watching where she was going and ended up running smack into someone.

"Shit...! I'm so sorry!" Kat said as she sat up, having been knocked to the floor. Her eyes widened as she noticed who she had knocked into. It was a boy, with untamed violet hair and eyes. He was panting and appeared to have been running away from something when he had knocked into her.

"Is something wrong?" Kat asked.

"We have to get out of here!" he insisted and grabbed her by the hand. He pulled Kat up off the floor and snatched a book that had been lying next to her.

Kat tried to protest but his grip tightened and she was surprised when she was dragged up a flight of stairs. _'If we're in the back of this section, then where did the stairwell come from?!'_

The boy slowed down and Kat watched as his eyes darted around frantically. "You're safe for now," he said a bit cockily and handed her the book he was carrying.

"Safe from what?" Kat asked as she looked around to find she was still in the fiction section. _'What's with the book he handed me?' _

"Never mind that. Now, to get you home, I need you're book title," he said hastily.

"Book title? Well, I'm looking for stuff on Shakespeare," Kat said to him.

His expression grew puzzled and his eyes narrowed, "Aren't you from the book you're holding?" He paused and looked her over, his expression growing slightly baffled, "You're not from the books are you?" Kat blinked and cocked her head. "Forgive me. It's been a while since I've ran into someone from the outside world."

"Uh..." Kat said still wondering what the heck he was talking about.

"This is one of the deeper sections of the library and hardly anyone ever ventures here. I suppose you need to get back to the front section?" he asked.

Kat nodded, "That'd be a great help!" _'Oh my god, he's crazy...' _she thought to herself.

The boy looked a bit disappointed that she wanted to leave but he managed to smile, "My name is Dark Mousy. For future references, I come from the book Ice and Snow."

"My name is Katsura..." Kat said as she was lead through the isles. She looked down at the book she was carrying and read the title to herself, _'Ice and Dark...'_

"We're about to enter the non-fiction section. This is about as far as I go," Dark said as he paused between isles. He had stopped panting and seemed a bit more relaxed.

Kat stopped and stared at him, "I still don't know how to get back!"

"You'll find the way..." he assured.

Kat grabbed his arm, "There's no one else here to help me get back. It's my first time coming here..."

Dark shook loose of her hold, "I can't go any further than this." His violet eyes lingered on her features.

"Yes you can!" Kat said as she reattached herself to his arm and pulled hard. She felt Dark move with her and she looked back to see if he would follow by himself.

Kat paled at what she saw. A large black dog with icy blue eyes was staring at her. It was large in size and the floorboards creaked from its weight. "What happened to Dark...?" she paused. "You're not a dog..." Kat whispered with fear. "What the hell is this place?!" she said as she began to back away. The creature stepped forward and Kat bumped into a shelf, almost knocking it over. Icy blue eyes watched her with curiosity and agitation.

"IT'S A WOLF!" she shrieked as she took off down the isles. Her fear managed to bring her back to the entrance room but she didn't bother pausing. "IT'S A WOLF! THIS PLACE _IS_ HAUNTED!"

People looked up form their books to see what had happened but by then Kat had disappeared. The alarms were blaring and people whispered, confused and afraid. Was there really a wolf roaming the library or was this just another homeless person making an excuse to steal a book?

(**A/N**: Hope you liked this chapter! Chapter two will be up shortly! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!**)


	3. Horror

::smiles:: Aren't you happy? It's chapter two! See how fast I update? Anyways, I'll work on making the chapters longer. It's either lots of short ones or not too many longs ones… -- never mind… Hey, noticed astricts (however that's spelled) still aren't working so you'll just have to deal with whatever else I come up with in place of them!

**PLEASE REVIEW!!!**

**_Bound to the Books_**

**Chapter 2**

"What do you mean a wolf?" Cody asked thinking that Kat had finally cracked.

"I mean that I really saw a wolf in the library!" Kat exclaimed.

He laughed, "Well, whether or not you really saw one, you still have to get your report done."

Kat sighed, "I know…" She ignored whatever else Cody had to say and let her mind wander back to what had happened at the library. Her fingers were closed around the book Dark had handed her earlier. _'Who was Dark? What was he talking about back where we met? Maybe I should go back, and then at least I might be able to see him again…'  _ 

The bell rang and Kat sighed as she walked out of her classroom and headed for her next period.

===

Kat sighed as she walked up the steps of the library. _'Was it possible that I didn't see a wolf after all? I must have been daydreaming.' _She crossed the granite floors of the entrance and moved her way to the fiction section where she had last seen Dark. _'I wonder if I'll be able to see him again. He acted so strangely, almost as if he was running away from something…' _

Kat threaded her way through the isles and rows passing fewer and fewer people the farther she went into the section. Eventually she began to get the feeling something was following her. Kat tried to ignore the feeling and just browsed through some book titles that caught her eyes but the more she ignored it, the more she was sure that something was following her.

_'This is getting a bit creepy…' _Kat's hand went to her book bag and she remembered that she still had the book Dark had handed her the day before. Her hands rummaged through the bag and eventually she could feel the designs on its ancient cover.

Completely forgetting that something was following her, Kat pulled out the book and sat down in the isle. _'I wonder what it's about. I still don't understand why he handed this to me.' _ Kat flipped through the first few pages then felt something drop onto her shoulder from above her. Slowly, Kat put the book back into her bag and reached up to see what was on her shoulder.

Kat paled and withdrew her hand. A slimy strand of goop was stringing her shoulder and hand together. Kat tilted her head upwards and another drop of goop landed in her face.

"What the hell?!" Kat stood up quickly and backed away from the case she had been leaning against. A trail of goop was making its way down from the top shelf but Kat couldn't see where it was coming from.

"This is just too weird…" Kat said to herself as she wiped her face off. Her hand paused and the feeling of being watched returned again. Her pulse quickened and her stomach began to churn uncomfortably. Kat's breathing quickened and she decided to start moving to see if she could ditch the unseen stalker. Clicking sounded on the granite behind Kat and she stopped to see if it was her shoes.

::Click, click, click:: Kat's face grew chalk white and she could feel her heart in her throat. _'Oh my god, I'm gonna die!' _

Her fear was beginning to turn into panic and she foolishly began to pick up her pace until she was all but running through the isles to find a way out. _'Shit! I can't remember which way is out! I'm so stupid!' _

The clicking of claws against granite sounded louder and faster and Kat began to panic even more when she reached a carpet isle. The clicking stopped and this only added to her fear. _'Great, first I can't see it, now I can't even hear it!' _

Kat darted around the nearest isle to catch her breath and she noticed how she felt a bit nauseous. Through the spaces between the tops of books, Kat caught something on the floor of the isle she had just come from. Her golden eyes glimmered with fear and she leaned forward to take a closer look.

"Boo…" a voice sounded right in her ear.

Every muscle in Kat's body seized up in one massive cramp before her stomach gave one final heave.

"I haven't seen someone spew like that in ages," the voice said. "Last time I saw anything nearly that bad was at drinking games."

Kat wiped her mouth with her sleeve, still hunched over, "You are an asshole."

The person crouched before her, careful to avoid what had been her lunch, and smirked, "I didn't mean to scare you so badly."

Kat saw the violet eyes and hair and her attitude took an immediate one eighty degree turn, "I'm fine. God, I thought I was going to die!"

"Die? From what? This is the border between fiction and non-fiction, the scariest thing around here is what you just chucked," he laughed.

Kat grew serious, "Were you following me?"

Dark looked her over and grew concerned, "No. Why do you ask?"

"Something was following me back there…" Kat tired to explain.

Dark looked over the isles, eyes skimming what he could see, ears straining to catch anything besides the panting of Kat trying to calm down. He ended up shrugging, "I'll take you to the next floor. We should be ok there."

Kat nodded and climbed the same stairwell she had been dragged up before. Dark stopped not too far away from the stairwell and leaned against a bookshelf. Kat sat down on the old carpeted floor and asked, "The book you handed me earlier, what is it?"

"A mistake, I thought you were from the books," Dark replied.

"What do you mean 'from the books'?" Kat asked.

"You really do know nothing do you?" he asked her giving Kat a sideways glance.

"Maybe I would if someone would tell me," she shot back.

"Maybe," he smiled cockily.

"I don't have time for this," Kat suddenly said and stood up. She made her way to the stairwell before pausing, "This is the part where you stop me."

The violet haired boy let out a loud snort, "Hate to break it to you, but this is real life not a story book."

"I never would have guessed the way you're acting," Kat bit back as she descended the stairs.

"Wench," Dark muttered.

"Uh hey…" Kat's voice drifted up sweetly from the stairs. "I just remembered, I still don't know how to get back…"

"Tough luck."

"What do you mean?! You just can't leave me here!" Kat said as she frantically climbed back up the stairs. She paused when she noticed that there was another floor below her, "What's down there?"

Dark was confused by the sudden turn in conversation. He peered over the side of the stairwell, "Horror section." _'I'm guessing whatever was after her came from there.' _

::Click, click, click::

Kat paled again and looked down to see something black making it's way up the stairs one flight below her. She tried to swallow past the lump in her throat and the feeling of doom.

Dark's eyes narrowed as he spotted the black from just a few steps from behind Kat's line of vision. He rushed forward and grabbed Kat tightly. She made a surprised yelp and startled the creature below. "You really did it now," he growled.

Kat threw her arms around his neck to keep from falling off and felt something moving under his shirt by his shoulder blades. Black feathers filled her vision and they were suddenly lifted upward. Kat blinked in confusion and noticed that Dark had sprouted wings. She could hear the enraged snarling of whatever was after them and it finally scared her into loosing consciousness. _'I knew I should have gone to a different library…' _ 

**(A/N: **Chapter 3 coming soon! **PLEASE REVIEW!!!) **


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